The Brightest Flame Harbors the Darkest Shadows
by Ephemeral in Bloom
Summary: He, is an assassin molded by the World Government since childhood. For all of his life, he has allowed himself to be restricted by their rules. Let us fast forward to when he finally made up his mind to fake his death and find freedom, only to stumble headfirst into a pirate crew. In a way, they saved him, giving him the chance no one else would. Years after, he repays the favor.
1. The Danger of Ignorance

Hello, everyone!

So as you can see, this is a new fanfiction, and my first one, to be honest.

I've read a lot of fanfictions on this site, some of my favorites revolves around the Whitebeard Pirates.

And this is why this will also be a Whitebeard centric story, and this does include an OC of my own design. If you don't like that, you don't need to read any further.

I will be sticking to the canon plot in a few areas, but I assure you that a few major changes will be made, especially regarding the Marineford Arc. It was one of my least favorite arcs of One Piece, which is why I want to tweak it a bit.

Also note that I am not the kind of author to write out everything before posting it, and while I have started expanding and grinding out the plot enough to ensure that I will not lose interest in this ten chapters in, I have no experience in this so that cannot promise a regular updating schedule. I'm enrolled in high school, I take a couple of Honors and AP classes, and I have a regular life to lead. This includes getting sick or having to divert extra time to extracurricular activities, which will cause delays and inconsistencies in updates. Please understand.

Alright, we've got that over with, now I'm going to explain a bit about the story.

It focuses on the Whitebeard pirates, and I'm going to repeat the fact that the main character is an OC. Other than that, there will also be A large number of other characters never mentioned in canon because Oda simply never devoted too much screen time to the Whitebeard Pirates. Disappointing, I know, but it also leaves a lot of space for expansion.

From what I have planned out, this fanfiction will be split into a few major arcs, just like One Piece, and each will contribute to the plot in a different way.

With this chapter begins the exposition of this story, where the major characters are introduced, they meet and begin to interact. Once we're more familiar with the setting and major characters, the second arc will begin. I have no idea when that will be, but I'll work it out.

This is rated M for some darker themes and language. Just in case, even though I think teens should be fine with it...

That concludes everything I need to say (the AN's in the future shouldn't be so long, I guess?)

(I should have a disclaimer, right?)

Disclaimer: I cannot draw people. Never could, and most likely never will be able to. You make the connection. One Piece, mine? Never.

Lastly, comments, concerns and questions are always welcome. You can leave a review or pm me, I have no particular preference. I don't really have a lot of experience with this, so... Meh.

If you made it up here, thanks for taking the time to read what I say.

Without further ado, let me begin chapter 1.

* * *

Unknown island, Paradise, 3 PM

"Alright. This is the last one. As soon as I'm done with this, I'll be leaving for good." The shadow on the rooftop muttered to himself, trying to sound confident.

If it wasn't a cloudy, dark day, if he wasn't deliberately standing in the shadows, if he wasn't wearing a hood, one might be able to get a glimpse of choppy brown hair and hazel eyes. A glimpse of youth.

But there were no ifs or maybes in life. If he wasn't who he was now, if he was someone born with privilege and status, then who would he be?

Certainly, he wouldn't have to spend so much time pondering, assessing and weighing his decision. He wouldn't have to make it in the first place.

Alright, enough wondering about the impossible. Back to reality.

Zero was already planning the departure.

It was a tricky situation.

He was, after all, an assassin, an important chess piece heavily nurtured by the World Government from young. Needless to say, he was intimately familiar with their methods.

There was no way they would let him go. Not with the secrets and power he held.

And if they even got a hint that he wasn't content and wanted to leave, he was as good as dead. They would kill him. They'd just use some rather unorthodox methods to... convince him to stay.

As for counting on someone else to lend a hand…? That was even more laughable. There would be people willing to take him in, sure, then squeeze out every little secret he knew before putting him to use where his so-called talents lay.

Hell, if he didn't cooperate, maybe they'd even sell him back to the World Government for whatever price they'd place on his head.

If indeed. If he was born a farmer, or a fisherman, or anyone that didn't ever meet those Marines, didn't ever get saved by them. If.

This was a very tricky situation, indeed.

But the details were something he could iron out another time.

Right now, it wasn't the priority.

"My assignment this time…?" he whispered. "Right. Get that file they've got and burn the place down."  
Usually, their unit, and him in particular wasn't assigned intel missions, but this was a special case.

After all, only he specialized in taking such high-risk missions.

"Just one commander and 24 crew members I need to avoid. This shouldn't be too difficult."  
He had spent two days observing, and would have willingly spent more, just in case and for a few more moments unsupervised, free, but they were leaving the next morning and then there would be no opportunity.

He would rather not have his stellar record be tarnished right before he decided to retire himself.

It'll have to be tonight.

* * *

Pirate's base of operations, 10 PM

The base of operations of the pirates was in an abandoned building on the North side of the island.

The hallway was quiet.

All of the pirates were at dinner, as usual, except for two sentries that he had quietly knocked out earlier.

The room was locked. That was expected.

Zero did not smash the door down, though he could have and it would be a simpler option, until it attracted attention and he was fleeing for his life.

He unhurriedly unwound a ring made of metal from his finger. While paperclips weren't as easy to use as picks, they were easier to carry around without arousing suspicion.

It only took him two minutes to pick the lock with fluid motions.

Zero shut the door behind him and scanned the room.

The room was darker than the hallway, which was lit up by electric lights every few feet. The only light in the room originated from the lampost outside the window.

He approached the piles of paper neatly stacked on the desk, flipping through them casually.

He should have just grabbed the file he needed, set the room on fire and leave.

Unfortunately, the sheer amount of information present ripe for the picking caught Zero's attention.

"Kaido's still holed up in Wano, Big Mom's rampaging for her stupid sweets…"

Zero soaked up the information like a sponge.

"Wow, they have a lot more intel than those stupid old cogders think." he snickered as he flipped through pictures of suspected Cipher Pol agents. "Don't recognize him, or this one… Not surprising they have Lucci…"

"Oh, this is the new one isn't it? He's involved in the Black Market? This maniac is Joker? Well, he certainly needs guts to blackmail the Celestial Dragons and then that strange uproar at Dressrosa happened… Well, there have been a lot of new Warlords recently. I remember it was only a year ago that some fishman became a Warlord, and three years ago it was that Kuja Empress or something…"

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Faint footsteps could be heard approaching the room.

"Oh, shit." Zero cursed. Sure, he had shoved the unconscious sentries somewhere out of sight, but if the pirates didn't see them… It had been truly stupid of him to underestimate a veteran crew seasoned by the dangers of the New World and loiter around.

The footsteps paused, then quickened.

Zero began fumbling for the lighter in his pocket. "Just set the paper on fire and out the window I go. Not my problem if they manage to salvage some things." The lighter slipped through his fingers and clattered noisily. I'm too nervous. Dammit, I should be calmer! Zero cursed again, but let it be.

How is he so fast? It's probably the commander,.

Right, so he was a bit irritated at how the situation was progressing, but all was good. The reason the higher-ups assigned this mission to him as opposed to the people in CP8 was because they knew it would be a bit risky.

I can handle the commander. Just need to finish up here quickly.

There were three reasons why he was so confident in dealing with this particular Whitebeard commander.

Firstly, Speed Jiru likely wouldn't have his weapon of choice, the lance, and even if he did, it would be awkward to use such a large weapon in close quarters. He wouldn't be able to display his full fighting prowess.

Secondly, he excelled in fighting in large, open areas. The speed he was famed for would be limited in this room.

Lastly, Zero himself specialized in close combat.

(Well, technically speaking, he didn't specialize in anything.

Rokushiki was a technique, when fully mastered, that allowed one to be well rounded in everything. Defense, offense in close quarters and long range combat, speed, dodging… there was even something meant for quick escapes).

Of course, it would be ideal if he also held the element of surprise, but well, sadly, you can't have everything.

There was a rattle as the key turned in the keyhole and doorknob rotated.

"Shigan."

Speed Jiru lived up to his name and managed to avoid the blow, causing his finger to effortlessly drill a hole in the wall.

"Who are you?" The pirate questioned, dashing into the room. He didn't look too alarmed.

"Soru. Rankyaku. Soru." Zero ignored his questions, opting to keep maneuver the commander into a corner so that he wouldn't be able to exit the room and cause a commotion.

The wind blade nicked the commander's arm and a gash in the wall appeared.

"Shigan."

Taking advantage of the Commander's momentary lapse in concentration, Zero decisively struck his temple with as much force as he could muster.

Yeah, he probably wouldn't die from that. It would be too disappointing if that was how easy it was to kill a Whitebeard Commander.

As expected, It hadn't taken very long for Zero to speedily knock the commander out after a short but exhausting exchange.

He was confident that he could win by dragging it out, but this needed to be finished as fast as possible.

The previously tidy room was a mess. Papers and splinters were strewn all over the floor, the latter originating from the unfortunate table that had been a casualty of the fight.

Suddenly, his instincts were bellowing at him to run, run, run. Zero began to frantically search the floor for his lighter. "Where-" Too slow-

"Are you perhaps searching for this, yoi?"

* * *

Pirate's base of operations, 10:15 PM

As they say, if you didn't do anything wrong, you won't feel guilty, you wouldn't have nightmares when you sleep.

Zero's heart all but lept out of his chest when he heard the drawled question. He stood, frozen, facing a wall.

I didn't manage to detect him until now? Damned lazy bastards that said there was no f***ing danger on this mission! Shit. Shit. Shit… Who is it?!

He began to ponder the chances of successfully escaping out the window when the person spoke again.

"I really wouldn't try that if I were you."  
Very slowly, the hooded youth turned to face the door.

And casually leaning on the doorway was Marco the f***ing Phoenix, with his igniter in hand.

"I, am, so, freaking, screwed." Was the last thing he said before he saw a blur rush towards him and lost consciousness.

* * *

14 years ago, unknown island, South Blue

"Commodore, Sir, up till now, we've gathered a total of fifty three."

"Fifty three?"

The soldiers held their breaths as their superior looked up from his book.

"That is acceptable. After all, the easy pickings have long since been taken." The man with small eyes and a mustache nodded in satisfaction. "Let us return to Marineford."  
"But, sir, there are many more refugees on the island awaiting rescue…"  
"That is correct. Set sail."  
"Commodore, we have space and we can allow more people onboard…"  
"The amount of resources the World Government is dedicating to the relief effort is sadly limited. We can only save a portion of these people. That is why the command was to focus on only gathering the children. We have spent 3 months here. It is time for us to leave."

This island was but a dot on a map of the vast South Blue.

It had never been officially named, but there were two kingdoms established on it- the Kingdom of Dusk and the Kingdom of Ripple.

Unfortunately for the citizens of this island, the two kingdoms were almost always constantly at war.

Now, fifty years later, after being struck by both plague and famine multiple times, neither could take it anymore.

Rebels were rumored to have murdered the royal family of Dusk, while the royals of Ripple had fled. Pirates had taken to terrorizing the island, looting and establishing little territories of their own.

For the civilians it was a calamity.

When this matter was brought up to the World Government, it had been promptly decided to send forces to calm the unrest and provide aid.

And now, with fifty-odd children on board, the very last team was departing, abandoning thousands upon thousands of lives that they simply didn't wish to save.

The World Government would often send these 'relief efforts' to islands ravaged by civil wars and natural disasters. They would often leave with orphaned children and raise them.

The public knew that when they grew up, most chose to be integrated into the Marines, while others left.

For this, the public chose to praise them for their benevolence, for their generosity.

What they didn't know, was that those that they praised had ulterior motives. They didn't know many of these children were not raised and then given a choice to stay or leave. They didn't know anything.

After all, why would they just feed and clothe them from young only to let them go, for free?

* * *

13 years ago, Guanhao Island, Paradise

"Alright, this time, we're whittling the number down to a hundred." He mumbled, green eyes scanning the clipboard.

"Right. Originally, there were almost 5 times that number, huh..." The man with the white overcoat next to him nodded. "Alright, listen up! I will be calling your names and assigning you a number. Remember that number! If you don't receive a number, then you will follow him!"

"Lucci, 1. Celestial, 2. Brix, 3…"

"...Sti, 99, Troy, 100." The man frowned.

"Is there a problem?" White Overcoat questioned.

"Yeah. There's another name on the list, but we've clearly already reached a hundred…" The man scanned the orderly rows entirely made up of children. "There is a hundred of them."

"Who is it?"

"Val."  
"Well, he's been marked as a pass, so just assign him a number and ask about it later." White Overcoat suggested. "It might just be a mistake of the system, but it wouldn't make too much of a difference either way."

"That is true. Val?" The man gave the boy that approached a glance. "Behind Troy. You'll be 101…"

"Rest of you, come with me!" White Overcoat commanded.

And what would happen to them?

Do you really wish to know?

* * *

Just mentioning, when I had this in docs, there were a lot of italics, but then they all vanished? I couldn't figure out how to fix it, other than rewriting everything here... Which I am not doing. Any suggestions? By the way, I'm uploading this one my phone, if it makes a difference.

Again, all comments and questions are more than welcome!

Bloom, out!


	2. What's the Plan Now?

Hello~~~!

I'm back with chapter 2! (much faster than I thought)

I don't really have a lot to say, so…

Let me just begin the chapter.

* * *

Tenth Division Ship (The Mist), Paradise, 9 o'clock AM

He was lying on something soft.

"I know you're awake, yoi."

"Go awaaaaaaaaaaaaay." Brain still foggy from that sleep, Zero fumbled blindly at the soft, warm covers and yanked them over his head.

Unfortunately, reality hit him with a sledgehammer.

"Wait, what the hell?" He hurriedly blinked the sleep out of his mind and stared at the white fabric with wide eyes.

"So now you're awake."

Was that a hint of amusement he heard?

He felt a gentle rocking. "I'm on a ship." On a ship, on a ship, on a shi- "I'm on a ship?"

There's another person in the room… His brain added helpfully.

Zero shoved the warm, inviting blankets away and sat up. "Why am I on a ship- pardon, your ship?"

"Because I need some answers, yoi." The Phoenix didn't look up from his pile of papers. "If you answer them, we'll let you go."  
"Yup. You'll let me go peacefully onto my afterlife." Zero groaned and laid back down.  
"Possibly." The pirate admitted readily. "But leaving you alive isn't that big of a deal. Even if you do go share whatever you've discovered with whoever sent you, how big of a difference could it make?"

"Oh." Secretly, Zero was envious of his somewhat arrogant attitude. But it was the undeniable truth: if you had strength, nothing else mattered.

"You don't sound very anxious, yoi."  
"Everyone has to die. If fate decides to kill me off here, I can only go and file a complaint after I'm dead." Zero shrugged.  
"You know, for a spy, you're oddly talkative." Marco put down his pen. "Who are you?"

He only hesitated for a single moment. "Does it really matter who I am?"  
"Not really. But it would be more convenient to have a name, yoi."

"It's not very convenient for me." He countered.

"Very well. I will stop beating around the bush. I only have one question. Who sent you?" Marco picked up his pen and began working again. "I have plenty of time and patience. Once you finish answering the question, I can let you go. If you decide to wait until we reunite with the main fleet, I won't be able to make the decision anymore. Consider it, yoi."

"And where do you plan on releasing me?"  
"In three days, we'll arrive at Sabaody Archipelago."  
"Not planning on throwing me overboard and feed the cutsey Sea Kings?"  
"Depends on my mood, yoi."

"Right."

Three days. That's too long.

* * *

Enies Lobby, 9 AM

"Mr, Logan, sir." A man dressed in a black entered the sparsely decorated office.

"Yes, Gray?" The well-built man with glasses raised his head. "Is there a problem?"  
"Zero hasn't made a report for 12 hours. The last report he gave was before he started the operation. Sir…"

"What?!" He stood up immediately. "It's been twelve hours, why has this only been reported now?"

"I have notified Mr. Spandam." Gray explained without a hint of panic. "Chief Spandine ordered us to report to him in his absence. He-"  
"Foolish! That stupid person only knows how to count his money and swagger, what do you expect him to do?"

Gray stayed silent, though it was evident that he shared his opinion.

"What was he sent to do?"  
"Retrieve a file from the Whitebeard Pirates 14th division that were undergoing a routine sweep in Paradise recently. The commander was spotted, but with Zero's experience and abilities, nothing should have gone wrong."

"Check in with all of the other agents on a mission. Monitor all the incoming calls. If he doesn't make a report within 24 hours, inform the others to capture him upon sight."  
"Sir, please keep it mind Zero may have just lost his den den mushi-"  
"He is the most talented recruit I trained for CP9." Mr. Logan sighed. "If he is alive, then that means we cannot rule out the possibility of betrayal. I only intend to question him and will not falsely accuse the innocent. You should know what to do, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"Also, try and find out exactly what happened. If it's just a 'Speed Jiru,' Zero should have been able to make a clean escape."

* * *

At sea, 10 AM  
"200, 201, 202, 203…" Zero counted under his breath as he continued to do push-ups. "Do you plan on spending the entire day here?"  
"Do you have a problem with me here, yoi?"  
"Yes. Will you leave?"  
"No."

"207, 208, 209…"

"..."

"995, 996, 997, 998, 999… and 1000."

"You're finished, yoi?"  
"Maybe."  
"How coincidental, I feel like taking a break now as well." The Phoenix trained his half lidded eyes on Zero. "It is truly so difficult to come up with an alias?"

Zero sat on an empty chair and ignored him.

"If you answer my question, I'll provide satisfactory responses to any queries you may have."

Shooting the man with suspicious looks, he considered it for a moment. "What's the point?"  
"Perhaps I'm just bored, yoi."  
"..."

"You owe me an answer." Marco prompted.

"Zero. I have heard rumors of your nigh miraculous powers. Is it true that if someone managed to cut off your limbs, they will regrow?"  
"Yes."

"Huh. that's not a bad power."

"Then I'd better hope you're not planning on assassinating me for it." He replied with that same tinge of amusement in his voice. "Where are you from?"

"Should be South Blue. Why are you here when you're supposed to be in the New World?"  
"I had an errand to run in Paradise and decided it would be easier to follow Jiru back, yoi." Marco smirked. "How old are you?"  
"Around eighteen or so." Zero shrugged. "Can you be hurt with haki, or are you only affected by seastone?"

"I can heal after being hurt by haki. Seastone wounds take longer. Have you been to the New World?"  
"Yup." Zero nodded, slightly confused about the seemingly random questions that the pirate was asking. "Why am I still alive?"  
"I don't feel like killing you right now, yoi. Where were you raised?"

"Paradise. Where is the main fleet you're meeting up with?"

"They're heading towards Rajin Island to meet up with us and division eight, who should already be on Fishman Island right now, yoi."

"You're giving up information rather easily…"  
"Well, since I'd be inclined to think that you won't spill what I want, you'll be finding out later anyway." The Phoenix shrugged. "Who raised you?"  
"Choose another question." Zero replied immediately.  
"What's your dream?"  
"Dream? I don't have one. How old are you?"  
"Brat, ask another question."

"You must be really old, then. Alright, give me an estimate based on New World standards, how strong am I?"

"Tolerable, yoi. Still lacking in experience. I'd advise you not to be too proud over the fact that you managed to knock Jiru out in a situation where you held an absolute advantage. I suspect you'd only last a few real battles before dying tragically."  
"..." Zero stood and began to do push-ups again. "1, 2, 3…"  
"Alright, let's end it here." Marco shuffled his papers together and departed from the room.

"7, 8, 9 …"

They will reach Sabaody Archipelago in three days. The coating should take… maybe three days as well? I have the highest chance of escaping on the sixth day. Six days… that's too long. I haven't seen a snail around, unless it's the Phoenix's, so I can't make a report.

"15, 16, 17…"

Even if I manage to return, they will suspect and question me. I won't have any chance to leave like I planned. I shouldn't return after I flee. This is actually more convenient for me.

"21, 22, 23…"

Hah. Meeting Marco the Phoenix was definitely not part of my plan, but this... could work out.

* * *

The next day, Enies Lobby, 9 AM

"Mr. Logan, it's been twenty-four hours and we've heard nothing. Your orders have been handed down. Also, we've investigated the matter with the Whitebeard Pirates. Marco the Phoenix was spotted in one of their territories in the first half of the Grand Line a week ago. It's possible that he met up with them to hitch a ride back to the New World." Gray reported.  
"Dammit." Mr. Logan banged his fist on the desk. "If it's him, then Zero might not have been able to escape."  
"What should we do?"  
"Inform all teams to keep a lookout for him. Arrange a team to travel to that island and search for his corpse."  
"Sir, do you think he's…"  
"We will know when the results return."

* * *

Two days later, Sabaody Archipelago, 2 PM  
As the ship sailed closer to the Archipelago, the faint hubbub originating from the island grew louder.

The room had no window, so there was no way to see what was going on outside, but in his head, Zero pictured the massive mangroves and the bubbles floating in the air.

He had been to Sabaody many times. It was the one stop that he always had to pass on the way to the Red Line when he had a mission in the New World.

As a person working for the World Government, it had been a simple and quick matter for the paperwork to be processed so that he could pass through Mariejois. In any case, he had never been responsible for it.

Pirates, however, apparently risked their lives going through Fishman Island with a coating.

Zero was aware of the theory regarding the coating. It was made of the resin extracted from the mangroves and could (hopefully) protect a ship and it's crew under the pressure as far down 10,000 ft below the Red Line, where Fishman Island was located.

An experienced crew like the Whitebeards naturally were far less at risk than the hot-headed, hubristic rookies eager on entering the New World.  
But Zero wasn't planning on staying through the voyage to Fishman Island, though he was a bit curious what it was like. He was planning on making a quick escape before the coating was complete and disappear.

And after that?

Well, he was tired of constantly living with his life hanging on a knife's edge.

North Blue, South Blue, East Blue, West Blue. it doesn't matter which one I head to first, since I'll be traveling all of them eventually.

In the small, dark room, the eighteen-year-old felt his lips curling up.

It won't take long now.

* * *

Sabaody Archipelago, 4 PM

"You've been to the archipelago before, right?"

"Passed by a few times, never really explored it." Zero fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "You aren't leaving?"

"Nope. I volunteered to stay and watch the ship." Jiru shrugged. "I spend a lot of time going back and forth between Paradise and the New World, so I've been here more times than I can count."

"Planning your revenge?"

The older man frowned. "You beat me. I respect that."  
"As you First Division Commander claimed, I only managed to do so because I held an overwhelming advantage."  
"A loss is a loss. I was careless." He replied bluntly. "By the way, we won't be here for very long, if you plan on confessing, we can send you on your merry way."  
"Not afraid I'd accuse the wrong person?"  
"Nah, we already have an idea who you might be from."  
"Then why ask?"  
"I don't like to assume."  
"You know, people in my line of work usually have tight lips, because if they don't practice the healthy habit of keeping their mouths shut, it'll only take a few months before some comes to relieve them of their head."  
"..."

"Well, then, we'll see exactly how long those tight lips of yours will last. Though, your loyalty seems to be to your life, not to that association you work for."  
"Indeed, my life is the most important." Zero agreed.

And if I don't take the initiative to cherish it, who will?

* * *

Sabaody Archipelago, 10, night

Two days passed very quickly.

One couldn't say that Zero wasn't bored, but he was used to training continuously when there was little else to do. That, or if he just didn't feel like thinking.

The fourteenth division commander had spent both days watching over him, but it seemed that everyone else was scattered across the island, with very few staying on the ship.

Including the Phoenix,

That was good.

Since he could do it once, Zero was relatively confident in incapacitating Jiru again, even if he was now alert and aware. Zero was more than willing to use the aces up his sleeves if it was necessary. After, he would quickly vanish into the sea of people.  
He knew they didn't truly consider him a threat, which was good, and it wasn't like he was stupid enough to plan on murdering anyone (who dared to do that?), so they wouldn't be too devoted in tracking him down.

"Knock him out, escape and then leave the island as soon as possible."

It wasn't a very elaborate plan, but then again, complicated plans often went awry.

Tomorrow.

* * *

And, cut!

I'd like to express gratitude for all of the favorites, follows and the review I managed to obtain: thank you! I really appreciate the support. If this could continue, I'd be delighted.

I can make no promises for when the next chapter will be out, although encouragement could help.

Aside from that... Well, the italics that I carefully cultivated all disappeared again... (Cries in a corner).

Yep, and that's my cue to go and rush to finish my lab report.


	3. Plan B: I Gained a Father

Chapter 3~~~!

* * *

Plan B: I gained a Father.

* * *

The next day, 8 AM

Zero awoke to gentle rocking. He kept his eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of sleeping until he felt like waking.

It was exhilarating, the feeling of this freedom.

"Hey, you awake?" A voice broke him out of his daydream.  
"Can't you knock or something?" Zero opened his eyes and glared at the unimpressed pirate. He ignored the little voice in the back of his mind informing him that this was their ship, so why the hell should they knock?

"It's already eight, you should be awake by now." The man rolled his eyes. "You've never been to Fishman Island before, right? I wouldn't miss the sight. Any ways, Commanders want you."

"Yeah-" He paused. "Wait, what?"

His heart was already pounding as he fit the pieces together neatly in his mind.

Nonononono-

"The Commanders want to see you. Don't ask me, I don't know why. Just follow me and don't go wandering about."  
Still stupefied, he obeyed.

The man led him to the deck.

All his hopes were ruthlessly crushed when he saw the deep sea out of a bubble surrounding the vessel.

"I guessed that you've never been to Fishman Island, yoi."  
Zero recollected himself. "Yeah, it was simpler and safer to go through Mariejois. It isn't like I had a ship to bring over, and Fishman Island is your turf, after all."

"Since it's your first time, you shouldn't miss this."

And it was a stunning sight, that was true, but unfortunately, Zero wasn't in the mood to enjoy it properly

"How does the coating work?" He questioned a few minutes later, feigning curiosity.

"It's made from the resin extracted the Mangroves. The person you pick to coat your ship is very important, seeing as this barrier is really the only thing keeping you alive. Different coaters ask for differing amounts of money, and the time it takes to coat a ship varies based on each ship, but it's always worth a longer wait and more expensive prices for quality, unless you're fond of drowning." Jiru explained, a glint of laughter in his eyes,

"Oh." Zero cursed his inexperience.

"There won't be any more stops, yoi. We won't be stopping on Fishman Island because we're in a bit of a hurry, so if you want to confess, I can only offer to throw you overboard."  
"Yeah, I'll pass."

* * *

The Mist, New World, 10:40 AM

There was a festive mood hanging over the ship.

"Finally! We're back in the New World!"  
"Being in Paradise was relaxing and all, but after a while it got boring! It's great to be back!"  
"That's right! Woohoo!"  
"Commanders, we're reaching Rajin Island in approximately thirty minutes!"  
"Thank you, Steven."

Only one spot of the deck was gloomy.

Zero stared at the calm waves lapping at the hull of the ship.

"Oi, brat, it doesn't seem like you're planning on speaking, yoi." Marco smirked.  
Jiru grinned. "I thought that he would try and run."

Zero felt his eyebrow twitch. It's not my fault I never went to Fishman Island before and I don't know how long the goddamn coating takes!

"Don't worry, Pops will like you." Jiru chuckled.

This statement out of the blue caused Zero to furrow his brows. "Huh?"

"Alright, Johnson, check the log pose again and make sure we're still on track!" Jiru began instructing the crew. "We've been pretty relaxed in Paradise, this needs to change, pronto!"

There was a chorus of "yes, Commanders" from the group on the deck.

"Let's get to work!"

* * *

The Mist, Raijin Island, 11:10 AM

They sighted the island first.

Zero had never passed by Rajin Island, so he was momentarily stunned at the strange sight.

"How do you go on that island?"  
"We usually don't. If you really need to, I suppose you could buy an umbrella from that vender over there, yoi." Marco smiled. "Though I'd have to admit it's a bit pricey, even by our standards."

"Vender? Where?" Zero asked. "Holy- there's actually a creepy old guy selling umbrellas here." He stared at the wrinkled old man (lady?) on the little boat to the right of their ship.

"This is a strange island for those used to staying in Paradise, but I've seen stranger, yoi."  
As they sailed closer, a miniature fleet of ships gradually became visible.

"That ship with the turquoise stripe on the corner of its sail, it belongs to the eight division. They've returned as well. Our ships look pretty much the same, so we identify which division they belong to using colors."  
"So the tenth division is gray?"

"Yes."

"Is there a particular reason you're telling me this?"

"Maybe, yoi." He answered vaguely.

* * *

Whitebeard Fleet, Raijin Island, 11:50 AM

"Don't worry, Pops will like you."

"Yo, Commander Marco! Commander Jiru! You guys brought a kid back?"

"We've got a new cabin boy?"  
"We haven't had a kid in ages! Like, since Executive Haruta was still that cute little bugger and not the seriously strong monster he is now."

"Who exactly do you think you're calling a cute little bugger, huh?"

"The last time Commander brought someone back was a looooooooong time ago. What's so special about this brat?"

"..." Zero felt a muscle in his face twitch. Calm. I'm calm. Very, very calm. I'm not going to rip someone's head off. No. I'm keeping a low profile. Low profile-

"Marco!" A man with a pompadour began making his way towards the small group of people making their way onto the Moby Dick, flagship of the Whitebeard Pirates. "Jiru! Welcome back!"

"Hey, Thatch. I'm going to go and report to Pops." Jiru waved at Thatch briefly.  
"Who's the adorable kid?"

"..."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" A short green-and-white blur sped towards them, knocking some pirates in the way off their feet. "Sorry, guys!

"Exec Haruta! Move a bit slower next time, will ya?"  
"Yeah, yeah!" He shot back. "Oi, how old is the brat?" He demanded.

"Shouldn't you ask for the brat's name first?" To the side, Thatch sweatdropped.

"..." Brat, brat, brat, you're the brat!

"You're older, yoi."

"Yes!" He pumped his fists in the air in excitement. "Finally! There's someone younger than me in the crew now!"

"Yeah, congratulations, pipsqueak." Thatch ruffled his hair fondly.

"Hey!"

Zero raised his head and stared at the officer gleefully bouncing from place to place. "How old is he?"  
"Eighteen."  
"Then how is he older? Clearly we're the same age."  
"You mentioned that you don't know exactly how old you are."  
"..."

Haruta zoomed back with a smile on his face. "What's his name?"  
"..." I am right here, you know...

"You can ask him later, yoi." Marco replied. "We need to go and meet our father."  
"You're going to meet Pops? I'll go with you!" The hyper teen chirped happily.

"I need to get back to the kitchens." Thatch sighed. "See you around, rookie!"

* * *

Moby Dick, Raijin Island, 12 PM

If you were face to face with the man credited as the Strongest in our entire, freaking, crazy, world, how would you describe him?  
Large. He wasn't as tall as an actual giant, but he was a far cry from a regular person… and very literally towered over Zero, even when sitting down. Even when slouching.

(In the past, it had never occurred to him that he was short. Unfortunately, he felt it very deeply now)

The second noticeable (strange) thing about Whitebeard was his mustache. It was… unique and iconic. Yup.

Of course, we'll just ignore the fact that he's actually known for his (non-existent) beard. But Zero had seen stranger, and while the mustache looks weird, Whitebeard clearly didn't mind it. If he didn't mind it, then who was he to bother him about it?

The thing that really hit him hard was how… warm the Yonko was.

Emperors were not supposed to be warm.

Even though not all pirates were evil and cruel like government propaganda liked to claim, well, they were the Emperors. Even if they weren't mass murderers, they shouldn't be friendly. They should be cold and imposing and maybe a tad wacko. Right?

Apparently not.

Zero stared as the half-giant grinned at his right hand man. He stared as they spoke, not really processing the words.

"Oi, brat."

Zero felt a poke on his shoulder and turned towards the rather short Whitebeard (thankfully, some of them were still normal…) with a somewhat dazed expression on his face. "Huh?"

"Ah, don't worry about it. All the rookies get nervous when they meet Pops for the first time." The teen with vibrant blue eyes stuck his hand out. "Haruta!"  
"Zero." He composed himself. "And I am not a rookie."  
"Yeah, you aren't." Haruta nodded, sounding patronizing.  
"..." Zero started glaring at the adolescent.  
"No one admits that they're a rookie, you know. Don't be scared, I'll protect you!"

Who the hell is scared here, huh? Zero almost exploded in anger.

"This is my first time being an older brother! It feels pretty good." He swished his green sleeves and nodded in contentment.

"..."  
"Hey, are you okay?" Noticing that his newfound friend was breathing a little heavily, Haruta questioned in concern.

"Yes." Zero replied shortly. Ignore him. Breathe in, breathe out. Calm, calm, calm...

Suddenly, a chill went down his spine. Zero stiffened and looked up, meeting a pair of sharp brown eyes that seemed to bore into his soul.

* * *

Main Deck of the Moby Dick, 12:10 PM

A moment later, the feeling of pressure passed.

The warm smile returned to the Yonko's face. "I trust your judgement, son."

Marco nodded.

Zero, who was recomposing himself almost choked on his saliva when he heard those words. If you trust him, then why the hell did you decide to use your goddamn Presence on me?

Of course, he had disregarded the insignificant fact that he had been their enemy merely days ago and he still was. Kind of.

Well, to say it strictly, he wasn't planning on killing anyone, per say, but he wasn't planning on cozying it up either.

He was just... Going with the flow.

"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed, causing the air to tremble.

"Oi, Pops!" One of the crewmembers complained as the ships began to rock widely.

"So, what is your name, son?"

"...!" Isn't this plot progressing a bit too fast? Zero thought incredulously.

Alright, so it had been completely and utterly obvious this was coming, since none of the pirates were particularly stingy with words, but to hear it being made official was still surprising.

He had spent a lot of time reading their files and understood that they had some… rather strange quirks regarding... basically everything.

It could explain their friendliness. Still, they were simply too trusting!  
"Zero. And don't expect me to call you Father."

"Gurararara! Marco's brought a little spitfire back home!"

"Marco, which division are you gonna put him in?" Haruta asked.

"Haven't decided yet, yoi."  
"Put him in the seventh!"

"Haruta."  
He wilted a little. "Come on, Marco!"  
"The last time I checked, there were 115 people in your division, Haruta."  
"Right."

"And the second, fifth and ninth division are currently substantially less crowded."  
"The second division doesn't have a commander." Haruta argued. "So you're basically in charge of everyone in the first and second division. Blenheim's still wherever the hell he is, so who knows if he'll want him, and you know Fossa only likes the big, tall ones, not a shrimp! And Vista has a lot to deal with lately! He won't have time to babysit a rookie! The seventh division is definitely the best choice!"

"..." Shrimp? Babysit?  
"I don't know, Thatch isn't picky about his people and the fourth hasn't had a new member in a long time, yoi."

"Aren't you going to ask me?" Zero interrupted.

"Your opinion doesn't carry any weight, yoi." Marco rebuffed.

"..." Seriously? I'm gonna rebel!

"Oi, rookie, what are you good at?" Haruta questioned.

"Hmmmm?"  
"You're not a swordsman, right?" He pressed.  
"I've used a sword before, but no. I'm more proficient with hand to hand combat."  
"Marco, see! Thatch doesn't teach any hand to hand! And also, wasn't the fourth division down with some plague for something a few days ago?"

"You can ask your division commander to inform me that he wants the new brat, yoi."  
"Marco!" Haruta scowled. "You know Commander Atmos is too lazy to bother with this crap."  
"Uh huh." Marco smirked. "Jozu might want him…"  
"No way. Jozu's only interested in his fat sumo wrestlers." Haruta scoffed.  
"True." Marco conceded. "Well, I need to attend the meeting, you take him around and see if he fits in anywhere."

"Yes! Come on, rookie, let's go!" Haruta began dragging Zero away.

"..."

* * *

Hehehehe, I'm being unusually productive lately! (Don't get used to it)

Thank you, thank you and thank you for all the favorites, follows and reviews I've received!

Please keep it up!


	4. Assimilation

Chapter 4~~~

* * *

Assimilation

* * *

Main Mast, Three hours later…

"You don't wrestle, you don't cook, you're not a swordsman, you've never been a shipwreck or a doctor or a blacksmith, you can't navigate, or work with wood, or grow plants, and you detest guns." Haruta listed.

"I don't have anything against guns, I just dislike using them. And yup, that's about it."

"So that means only the seventh division is perfect for you!" Haruta exclaimed. "The commander of the tenth division, well, the other one, is Curiel, who's a gun maniac, so you won't fit there. The ninth is-"

"I think I prefer the second more."

"What?! Why?"

"Because there is less people."

"But…"  
"Besides, since Marco was the one to recruit me, he should be held responsible for it." Zero declared grouchily.

"What kind of mentality is that?"

* * *

Office of First Division Commander Marco, 3:10, afternoon

"Alright, you can join the second division, yoi." Marco didn't even bat an eye, continuing to focus on the reports Jiru had handed in earlier. "Haruta, you can give him to Gavin. The second division isn't that crowded, so there should be a few empty Executive rooms. You can tell Gavin to assign him one."

"Oka-" Haruta blinked. "-wait, what? That's not fair! I had to sleep in the barracks and deal with the snoring until I got my promotion!"  
Marco didn't deign to reply. Jiru complained that he caused a lot of damage to their files… of course, nothing serious is ever written down. Still, he's making a lot more work for me… hmmm...

"Fine, fine." Haruta huffed. "This is blatant favoritism!" He threw Zero a glare.

"Does it look like I asked him for it?"

"You should have joined my division!"  
Zero shook his head. "The second division doesn't leave the ship often, so it is a better choice for me. I need to lie low for a time."

"Well, whoever the hell it is, we can just beat 'em up!" Haruta grumbled. "Why go through so much trouble?"

"..." You're going to get yourself killed one day, you know that?

* * *

Office of Second Division Delegate Gavin, 3:30 PM

Zero's first impression of Gavin was that he liked red.

"Dammit, Del, stop wearing stuff that blinds my eyes!" Haruta complained.  
"Language, Executive."  
"Yeah, I'll watch my language when you stop wearing that eyesore." He rolled his eyes. "And shave." He added, eyeing the stubble on the taller man's chin.  
"What are you here for?"  
"New guy. Give him an Executive room."  
Gavin narrowed his eyes. "Executive, please stop messing around-"  
"Commander's orders, Delegate! If you have any problems with it, go and debate with your superior. And by that, I mean Marco."

"..." On the sidelines, Zero glanced between the two. Hidden rivalry? Whatever, it has nothing to do with me.

"Oi, rookie!"

"Huh?" Zero turned towards Gavin- and regretted it immediately. That… is… so...

"You'll be joining Amias's unit. Get to it." Gavin snapped, then unceremoniously pushed him out of his room.

"..." Zero stared at the door that was just slammed shut. What is this? Hey, I didn't do anything to offend you!

Aside from that, when exactly had Haruta left?

Zero then chose to carefully examine his surroundings. Identical doors alongside this entire hallway… and this one… that one as well… hmmm...

Alright, fine.

But who the hell is Amias?

* * *

Barracks of the Fourteenth Division, 4:30 PM

Zero leaned against a wall.

Even these goddamn walls are identical to the goddamn walls on the other side of the goddamn ship!

Zero forced a clipped smile onto his face. "I am calm. I am very calm. Yup, I have never been more calm than I am right now…"

A couple of pirates passing through the corridor gave the teen a few strange looks before they decided to mind their own business and continue on to their destination.

"Zero!"

"Yes?" The response was almost instinctual since Zero was still just a tiny bit preoccupied over his little situation. "Oh. Commander Jiru." He noticed the tall, tanned man wearing a top hat next to the commander.  
"Vista, this is Zero, who Marco and I met on the mission. Zero, this is the Commander of the Fifth Division."

"Yeah, I know." The words left his mouth before he registered them. "You're all pretty infamous, you know." He added.

"It's nice to have someone who shares the habit of reading the news. Welcome to the crew, lad!" Flower Sword Vista grinned.

"... I'm not a kid!"

"Anyways, why are you here? Did you get assigned a division yet?"

"Second division. I'm searching for a person named Amias. Does that ring a bell?"

"Nope!" Jiru shook his head.

"Great, I'll continue searching then."

"Perhaps your search will prove more fruitful if you looked for him in the Second Division barracks." Vista suggested helpfully.

"And… where is this?"  
"That way is the Tenth Division barracks." Vista pointed to the they came from. "In the opposite direction is the Eighth Division barracks."

"...Okay."

"The Second Division barracks are quite far from here." Jiru chuckled.

"Just give me some directions, I'll figure it out."  
"Go down this hall, and turn right on the second corridor. Then turn left, go up the staircase, you'll see it, and then you'll find the Mess Hall. Go around it, then up the stairs again to the Main Deck. Go towards the stern, and down the staircase. By the way, It's been painted blue. Once you've gone down three sets of stairs, go forwards, turn right at the moment you see an intersection, and you'll find Gavin's room. It's the first room on the right. You can go and find him for help. From what I know, he should be in charge of these things."  
"If you get lost again, just ask someone else."

"..." So I'm still going back to Gavin…? "So it's down this hallway, right turn on the second corridor, left turn up one set of stairs, then around the Mess Hall, up the staircase…"

"...and turn right immediately."  
"Wow." Jiru clapped. "That's a great memory you've been born with."

"If only I had such great luck." Zero murmured to himself.

"Hmmm?"  
"Thank you for your assistance, Commander Jiru. I need to leave."

* * *

Office of Second Division Delegate Gavin, 4:50 PM

"-Intersection, there it is, and a right turn, and… it took me precisely an hour and twenty minutes to get back to this goddamn point?" Zero fumed. "Alright, alright, at least if I get lost again, I can probably find my way back."

He knocked on the door,

Once.

No response.

"Hmmm?" Zero furrowed his brows.

Twice. There is not way he couldn't hear that.

Still, sadly, Zero was waiting for a response that never came.  
He grasped the doorknob and opened the door- surprisingly, it hadn't been locked.

And… the room was devoid of everything but inanimate objects.

"..." The hell?!

"Alright! Back to wandering to who knows where!"

* * *

Barracks of the Second Division, 4:55, PM

"Oi, you! Stop!"

Zero tilted his head to the side the shout had come from- only to be met with a blinding sight.

"Where have you been for the past hour?" Gavin, whose face was flushed to a shade similar to his shirt, demanded.

"Searching." He gave a short reply.

"And where exactly were you searching?"  
"I don't know, but since I've wandered back here, likely across the entire ship." Zero shrugged.

"You-!"

"What?"

"Why didn't Executive Haruta guide you?"  
"Hey, isn't Haruta part of the Seventh Division? You expect him to take care of the stuff in our Second Division?" The woman leaning against the wall- where did she come from?- reproached heavily.

"Sharon, shouldn't you be submitting the documents to Commander Marco?"  
"And miss this?" Sharon smirked as she examined her fingernails. "Heh. You know, Gavin, if this news gets into the wrong ears, this could be coined as abusing your authority to bully a rookie in addition to slacking off, right?"

Gavin glowered at her. "Sharon, has anyone ever told you that keeping your nose in your own business is a very profitable practice?"  
"And what might I gain from that?"

"A few more years in your lifespan."  
"Hehehehe! You aren't threatening your dear older sis, now, are you?" Sharon started grinning. "I've been feeling a bit stiff this week. Haven't properly stretched my muscles."  
"..."

"Training room, ten minutes." Gavin replied shortly.  
"You got it. And by the way, little rookie, welcome to the Second Division!"

"Brat, hurry it up!" Gavin snapped from where he was, a few feet ahead.

* * *

Barracks of the Second Division, 5:01 PM

"New person? We haven't had a new person in ages!"  
"No one ever joins the Second Division. They all complain that we have no division commander, we never get to leave the ship, we're all losers just cuz we only have two Delegates and we're weaker- well no shit, we have no division Commander!"

"Let's calm ourselves down a mite before we scare our newfound friend away, Inigo." One of the people soothed.  
"If this is all it takes to scare 'em away, then they're no need for him to stay. He should just get packing!"

"Don't mind Inigo, she's a real softy when you get to know her."

"Who do you think you're calling the softy, Monty?" Inigo put her hands on her hips, staring at the short blue-haired man frostily.  
"Admit it, you're both softies." A girl giggled, twirling her curly hair.  
"Don't you cut in, little brat!"

"Hey, don't go calling me the little brat, I ain't the littlest brat anymore. 'Sides, you're not that much older than me anyway."  
"Well, on this crew, I'm your senior, Rye." Inigo shot back.

"Stop pulling the senior card!" Rye pouted.

"Please, everyone, cease your arguing. May I ask for your name?"

Zero examined the man with dark skin and two golden hoops in his right ear. "Zero."

"Amias. I am the impromptu leader of this ragtag bunch-"  
"And who exactly are you calling the ragtag bunch, huh?"

"-so if you ever have any problems, don't hesitate to find me." Amias finished. "I've been on this crew for six years."

"Yeah, stop bragging." Monty rolled his eyes. "Monty. Nice to meet you, rookie. Inigo is the short and feisty chick. Rye is the one with the frazzly hair, and the person over there ignoring us is Lowell."

"I'm not ignoring you, I'm simply more captivated by this fascinating story about-" The man explained, fiddling with the device in his ear.

"Yeah, just tune him out." Rye said dismissively. "Hello, little rookie! I'm twenty four this year, how about you?"

"Eighteen."

"That's too young…" Rye sighed. "I just wanna find a boyfriend, dammit!" She punched the wall in her anger. "Owww!"  
"Stupid."  
"Oi, who are you calling stupid, huh, old man?"

"I'm not old!"

"Sure you aren't, dyed hair!"

"It's naturally blue, dammit!"

"I'll be giving you a brief rundown on the crew after we get you settled. Regarding your room… there's an Executive room right down the hall. You would think they'd put all the officers together, but they scatter 'em around everywhere to keep order in case anything happens." Amias explained.  
"Hey, hey, why does he get an Executive room?" Inigo frowned.

"Well, it's orders from the top."  
"Seriously, though, we've already done our best to give you your privacy!" Monty grumbled as he gestured towards an area separated by a divider in the end. "If you really want your own room that badly, then go and get a promotion! You get what you want, we get some peace and quiet!"

"Calm down, you two. And you, Lowell, help me out here, don't just ignore me!" Rye shouted.

"Allow me to finish reading this intriguing passage-"  
"Oh, just shut up!" All three shouted.

* * *

Cut!

We have some new people!

I am aware that my descriptions of them are severely limited (He has blue hair, she's short, etc.) but I still haven't figured out a method to describe them without sounding like I'm writing a character profile! As time passes and I have more scenes describing their interactions, (hopefully) they'll start becoming a little clearer.

Thanks you all for the favs, follows and reviews I've received! It really means a lot to me!


	5. The Meaning of Family

Enjoy.

* * *

The Meaning of Family

* * *

_Executive Room, Barracks of the Second Division, 5:05 PM_

As for Amias, he had long since led Zero into his new dwelling.

"You're pretty lucky, rookie, that you don't have to squeeze in with the rest of us. Not that we're exactly cramped or anything, considering our division is around half the size of the others." Amias grinned. "Don't know how you did it, but Gavin didn't look too happy. Anyway, you want your tour first, or the general overview?"  
"I don't really care."  
"It'll be time for dinner soon, so we should probably do the tour tomorrow. The one and only thing you really need to know right now is that there is only a single ironclad, unchanging rule on this crew, and that is never to betray the crew and harm your crewmates!" Amias said sternly. "Deliberately harming a fellow brother or sister with intention to kill while in a lucid and healthy state of mind, regardless of whether or not they actually died, regardless of how serious their injuries are, means that we have to hunt you down and kill you. It's really the intent that matters. We usually don't allow anyone that wants to harm a crewmember stay alive for longer than necessary."

_So it's true… _"For anyone?"

"Once you joined our crew, we're family, so it's only natural that we protect each other. In the past, there have been a few problems between crewmates, but the issues are always resolved. Worst come to worse, they'd just make an effort to avoid each other." Amias explained.

"Even if they've massacred your family?"

"Well, we've never had such a situation, but if so, Oyaji and the Commanders will attempt to find a solution for it. Oyaji is a pretty good judge for morals, so, that's an unlikely situation..."

"That makes sense."

"Alright, since we've gone over that, I'll start explaining this crew. Maybe you've heard of things, maybe you haven't. Obviously, Pops is the Captain, and if he tells you to do something, you do it, but for the ease of commanding such a large number of people this crew is divided into ten divisions. Each division is headed by one to two commanders. Then, the divisions are further split down, and each has an officer in charge, organizing and whatnot. It gets a bit complicated, but you'll get used to it."

"And Gavin…?"

"Well... he's pretty high up the ladder."

"Oh."

"Don't worry about it, he's just strict with rules. Once they catch the news, a lot of people will be… unsatisfied with the fact that you've been given your own room."

"So I should be worrying."

"Nah. They'll just grumble for a few days. No one will try and go against Commander Marco to make things difficult for you... " Amias paused, then coughed dryly.

"Except for Gavin."

"True. Except for our Delegate." He admitted. "Anyway, back to the topic. The members of this crew are split into two groups. We're the 'unranked.'" Amias gestured towards himself and the person across from him. "Unit leader is an unofficial position, so ordinary crewmembers and people like me are in the same category. Only those starting from Executive and up are considered officers, or the 'ranked.' There is a huge difference between the two groups in strength. In addition, officers are no longer a part of the Unit system, as they now begin to command a certain number of men based on their positions. Being a ranked crew member means you have prestige and power. They have certain benefits we do not, like private space. But they also have responsibilities for everyone they command. In a battle, they're responsible for our lives. Each one understands that their decisions don't just affect themselves, and they need to be responsible for consequences."

"It's kind of difficult to perceive, since I've never been in a crew, but sure."

"Well, you'll understand it when you see it." Amias said dismissively. "Rookies, especially those who were the top dogs in Paradise, tend to grow complacent. I don't mean to call you conceited, but the New World is completely different from what you've encountered previously. You need to understand that this isn't a joke."

"..." Zero took a deep, deep breath. "I, am not, a rookie."

Amias eyed him suspiciously. "Sure."

"When I first entered the New Word and had to crawl out by the skin of my teeth, I had already comprehended that particular lesson. Since then I've gone across the Red Line and risked my life so many times that I can't even keep track of them anymore. I think that I have the right to claim I am not a Paradise rookie."

"Alright. Calm down, this is just obligatory crap I'm required to spew even if no one listens." Amias shrugged. "As for whether or not you truly have the experience to claim you aren't a rookie, we'll see." Noticing that Zero had started glaring again, he hastily said, "Moving on. No one on this crew is an idler. Everyone is responsible for a certain set of duties such as keeping watch, helping out the kitchens, and other miscellaneous tasks. You'll be receiving your tasks soon, probably in a few days after you've finished adjusting and all."

"Who are the tasks assigned by?"

"Hmm? Usually Teo, but it passes over Gavin before you get… get it."

"..."

"Alright, let's pray together that you don't get pipe maintenance or something gross like that."

"..." _Aren't you supposed to be my Unit Leader? Why are you so useless?_

* * *

_Executive Room, Barracks of the Second Division Tenth Unit, 5:15 PM_

"Oi, new guy!" Rye knocked on the door of the room. "Unit leader, rookie, you in there?"  
"Yes, what's the problem?" Amias opened the door, sounding slightly irritated.  
"It's not like I wanted to interrupt your little speech." Rye rolled her eyes and entered the room. "Seriously. Some guy in the Tenth Division, you know, the ones under Commander Jiru, came along and asked me to give this to the newbie. Oh, and also the guidebook that we have a trillion copies of. This look familiar?"

"Yeah, it's mine." Zero recognized the black knapsack he had brought along and then... proceeded to forget entirely. Well, he couldn't really been blamed, since he had been through a few rather stressful days. "Thanks."

"Finally, we have someone with manners!" Rye exclaimed with mock surprise, before tossing the items in her hands on the bed. "You guys continue. I'll see you at dinner!"

The door closed with a click.

"Ah, that reminds me. Dinner will be starting soon. We've covered basically everything that you really need to know. You want to organize your stuff now? I'll come back and guide you to the mess hall in fifteen minutes."

"Sure."

"As for the guidebook, you can read over it later. The information is accurate, but I wouldn't go around gossiping about the juicy tidbits you've discovered." Amias said, a grin tugging at his lips.

"Okay."

"Good. Wait for me, don't go wandering around again!" He warned teasingly.

"I blame Gavin for that." Zero snorted, grabbing the book and placing it on the desk.

When he heard the door shut with a click, Zero reached for the bag. _Did they take anything? _

Zero removed the neatly folded clothing and placed it to the side. _They didn't take my log pose. Not that it's useful to them, or me, since it's the version used in Paradise. _

With a hint of urgency, Zero dug towards the bottom of the bag and retrieved two pieces of stone.

They were palm sized, a blueish-gray color and smooth to the touch. _They didn't take this?_

That could mean that they didn't check his bag, or the person who checked hadn't recognize it.

Zero continued to wordlessly empty his bag. _I still have my daggers… but… I'm missing approximately 800,000 beli. _

His eyebrow twitched as he stared at the money left. _Seriously? They took over half my money!_

However, he regained his calm very quickly. _Money isn't very useful to me right now. Besides, they didn't touch anything else. That's... pretty good._

Still, he felt his heart bleed a little. _I almost sold my life away earning that money, you damned thieving pirates!_

* * *

_Mess Hall, 6 PM_

"Zero!" Haruta gave the pirate occupying the space next to the slouching teen a _look_, which caused the man to promptly got up and flee to another, safer spot.

Haruta set down his tray onto the table with a plunk. "How have you been doing?"

"Fine." Zero stabbed into his food expressionlessly.

"You haven't been led around yet, right?" Haruta continued. "I'll show you around tomorrow morning!"

"Executive, don't you have to train with Commander Thatch every morning?" Amias reminded helpfully.

"Ah, right!" Haruta smiled sheepishly. "Tomorrow afternoon! Also, you look kinda familiar. What's your name?"

"Amias-"

"Isn't my Unit Leader the one that's supposed to bring me around?"

When the young Executive turned his gaze to Amias, he made a quick decision and pasted a smile on his face. "Naturally, if the Executive offers to help, I'll be grateful. I happen to have many tasks to do tomorrow…"

"He's lying." Inigo cut in, shooting Amias a baleful look.

"..."

"Yup, see? He's busy tomorrow, so I'll be showing you around~~~!" Haruta completely ignored the whispered comment.

"Okay."

"..."

"You're done eating, right?" Haruta grinned.

Zero froze. "Er… no… "

"Since you're done, I'll bring you to meet the Commanders!"

And with that, he began to drag Zero away.

_Alright, it's just a hyper teenager, just treat him like a kid… but we're both the same age, why am I so much more mature?_

"Thatch!" Said hyper teenager shouted across the room as he made a beeline towards the Commanders tables.

"Executive Haruta, slow down!"

"Eep!" A pirate hurriedly dived out of the way, protecting his tray.

"Who's the kid he's dragging?"

"Whichever unfortunate soul it is, thank you for attracting his attention."

"Thatch!" The short pirate shoved his dazed captive in front of him. "This is Zero!"

"Haruta, I met him already." Thatch said slowly.

"Huh? Really? When?" He asked obliviously.

"..." His eyes began to twitch.

"Are you alright? Your eyes are twitching a lot." Haruta pointed out. "Maybe you should go and get it checked out by a nurse."

"You unfilial disciple, we met him at the same time!" Thatch roared.

"Ah? We did?"

The commander next to Thatch was already rolling on the floor from laughter.

"And you shut up, Atmos!"

"Hahahahaha! Good job, Haruta! As expected from someone in my division!"

"..." Zero watched the proceedings unfold without a change in expression.

"Anyways, Zero, you didn't meet any of the other commanders, right?" Haruta hurriedly changed the subject. "This is Atmos, he's my coughlazyashellcough commander."

"You little rascal, what did ya call me again?"

"Aside from him, the other commander of the seventh division is Rakuyo, the person with the pet spiky ball that's currently gleefully chomping on your plates, Thatch-"

"Wait, what?" Thatch jumped up. "Rakuyo, control your pet-!"

"What?" The other commander turned. "Hey, don't go blindly accusing my little princess! She's done nothing wrong!"

"Haruta!"

"..." _That… thing is a she? Well, I suppose you could say it's similar to Funkfreed… kinda… _

"Hahahaha!" Haruta smirked at his mentor. "And the guy hugging and smooching those huge bazookas, he's Curiel, the tenth division commander. That person with the balls balanced on his head is Jozu, the third division commander. And the fishman brooding by himself in the corner, like he usually does is Namur, the eighth division commander."

"I'm not hugging my bazookas. I'm doing maintenance!" The man snapped, glaring at them through his square-rimmed glasses.

"Balls... " The huge commander looked up slowly and frowned. "Do you have a problem with my hair, _brat_?"

"Scary…" Haruta hurriedly hid behind Thatch, who acted like a responsible elder and met the giant's gaze evenly.

Namur merely sent the two teens a glare and a generous reveal of his very _pointy _teeth before resuming his brooding.

"And finally, Vista-"

"I've met him earlier." Zero interrupted, not allowing the trickster any now opportunities to act mischievously.

"Oh." Haruta sounded faintly disappointed. "Stop standing there and gawking, sit!" Haruta practically shoved Zero onto a seat. "I have a lot of questions I need answers to!"

Seeing the Commanders having little to no reaction, Zero assumed that this was a common occurrence.

"You're from…?"  
"South Blue."

"Do you fish?"

"No." Zero replied.

"But you don't farm, you don't cook, you don't work with wood or metal, you're not a doctor or a navigator… " Haruta shot a dubious look at him. "You're not a scammer, right? One of those perverted old men that scams beautiful young ladies?"

_What perverted old man… I'm the same age as you…_ "You're trying to guess my profession?"

"Yup! What do you do?"

"Oi, Executive Haruta, you wanted the bounty posters I was looking at earlier, right?" A pirate approached the table.

"Yeah, gimme, gimme!" Haruta dashed towards the man excitedly.

"I…" Zero didn't notice this small exchange, too caught up in his own thoughts. _I can't exactly claim to be a spy, can I? But aside from that, my skill set is severely limited… hmmm… well… _"Assassination. I specialized in assassination."

"Pfft-!" The person sitting next to him promptly ejected the substance he was in the middle of chewing when he heard those words.

"What the hell, Rakuyo!" Curiel accused, the unlucky victim. "You want to fight?"

Thatch, who had been across the table, choked as he was swallowing when he heard the 3 syllables Zero had uttered.

Atmos, who was seated next to him slapped his back with a provoking smile.

"Atmos!" Thatch roared when he recovered.

"What?" The commander asked innocently. "I was just trying to be helpful."

"By using Haki?!"

Meanwhile, Haruta, who had been racing backward when he heard the answer to his inquiry, missed a step in his shock and face planted on the ground.

This, was the scene Marco walked into.

Wearing his usual expression of boredom, Marco swept his gaze across the scene of Haruta scrambling on the floor, frantically collecting his scattered bounty posters, Curiel impatiently wiping his guns off with a stack of napkins, forgetting there was still liquid on his face, and Thatch and Atmos at a deadlock with each other.

"You wanna fight, huh?"

"What, did ya think that I'm afraid of you?!"

Then Marco glanced towards the cause of this disturbance, who was innocently staring in befuddlement.

"Eh, what happened?" Zero frowned.

Marco coughed lightly, setting his tray down.

Everyone froze.

"Oh, hey Marco, didn't see you there!" Thatch greeted with fake cheer, breaking the silence.

"Sit, sit!" Atmos hurriedly added.

"I take it that the two of you forgot the Mess Hall is a safe zone, yoi?" Marco raised an eyebrow. "Making the Mess Hall an area where combat is strictly prohibited area happens to be something you asked for, Thatch."

"You've got it wrong! We were just messing around… " Thatch began to sweat.

Marco gave him a meaningful glance. "Curiel, yoi, wipe your face. Alright, what happened?"

"Him!" Rakuyo accused.

"Me?" Zero blinked, dumbfounded. "What did I do?"

"Hey, kid, it's not good to lie, alright?" Rakuyo continued.

"Huh?" _When did I lie again?_

"He almost scared me to death… " Thatch agreed. "It's alright if you don't want to tell us, but don't give us such an obvious lie!"

"What did he say?" Curiel asked curiously.

"He said that he was an assassin!"

"Yeah, but I guess I'm a pirate now." Zero confirmed.

The expensive heads of the pirates nearby all swiveled to stare at him with skeptical expressions.

_He's just as short as than Haruta, and his face still has traces of baby fat… Did he even undergo puberty yet? _The same thoughts rang in the mind of all the pirates.

"Don't tell me that particular industry is now fond of using underage brats?" Curiel snorted.

"Yeah, it's really unconvincing, kid."

"..." _I'm eighteen, you know! And I could sweep the floor with you in less than a minute!_

"Since he says it's true, then it's true, yoi." Marco shrugged. "You know our policy."

As the pirates grumbled their consent, Zero nudged Haruta. "Policy?"

"Yeah. It's a 'believe if you ask, don't ask if your doubtful' kinda thing." He whispered back, shuffling through his posters. "Lots of people on the crew have pasts they don't like to mention. I forgot to tell you earlier, but you don't have to answer anything I ask you. And if you do, regardless of what your answer is, I'm obligated to believe it. Well, technically, I'm obligated to believe you have good reason to say whatever you say and that I should respect that… yeah, something along those lines."

"Oh."

"On this crew, we don't care about your past. We only hold you accountable for your actions from now on."

"That kind of mentality could easily bring disaster."

"Yeah, but that's what makes us a family." Haruta smirked. "Since you claim to be an assassin, you gotta have some skills! I want to spar with you!" His eyes glowed with excitement.

"Er… are you sure that's a good idea, Haruta?" A slightly concerned bystander questioned timidly.

His goodwill was completely disregarded.

"Sure, bring it on." Zero agreed.

And so, the fiasco was resolved.

* * *

This chapter took longer for me to write… but it's also a bit longer.

Does it balance out?

Thanks to everyone for their support! I can't express how happy it makes me!

Don't forget to drop a review!


	6. Undergoing an Assessment

Hello~! How has everyone been?

* * *

Undergoing an Assessment

* * *

_Barracks of the Second Division, 9:40 PM_

"-and then that poor person almost started crying because Commander Marco looked too fierce…"

"_It's_ tomorrow, isn't it." Rye said suddenly, shifting the topic away from gossip about a certain first division commander.

That evening, the group was gathered in their room. Zero had been dragged by Monty to join them, because 'pirates should be more social.'

Amias was quietly looking over what Inigo termed as 'the annoying stuff he has to do as a unit leader,' at his desk, and Lowell, as always, had a book in hand. Aside from the two, the rest of the unit were engaged in light conversation to pass the time before the lights were turned off for the day.

"Yup, it's tomorrow." Inigo sighed in an exaggerated manner. "Again."

"No… " Monty groaned. "What do you mean, it's only been like, a few days!"

"Everyone should go to sleep early today. If any of you flunk tomorrow like a few of you did last month…" Amias looked up and scowled heavily. "I will personally oversee your training for the next three months."  
"It won't happen again… probably." Monty reassured.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Zero asked hesitantly.

"Short summary: since we're in the New World, etcetera, etcetera, death is a relatively common occurrence, which means, in order to not perish valiantly in the first battle you ever fight, as most people do, we need to train. However, 95% of the population either doesn't understand that logic, or are too lazy and/or conceited to care, which means they die off pretty quickly. Therefore, instead of letting those people die, we have to make sure to maximum their chances of survival by forcing them to train." Rye concluded. "They give us a series of tests, so to speak, to make sure we aren't slacking off."

"I don't see why that's necessary." Inigo sulked. "If the loafers wanna go and die, just let them!"

"Well, they are our brothers and sisters. Unfortunately, we're required to be responsible for them." Monty sighed dramatically. "Something cliché about a group is only as strong as its weakest link."

"Right. So as Rye was saying, since there really isn't a good way to keep track of everyone and make sure they're actually keeping up with standards, the commanders decided to assess us. The Executive oversees the assessments." Amias continued. "The officers have their own assessments, which are naturally much more rigorous than ours."

"It's only once a month." The quiet Lowell looked up from his book and smiled. "No need to be overly concerned, It really isn't that bad."

"Yeah, just go back to reading your stupid articles, will you?"

Lowell smiled serenely.

"By the way, our Executive is called Teo. Each Executive is in charge of two units, so… we'll have to do this with Unit 9."

"And... they are complete, utter assholes. Especially Torin."

"You're just grumpy because they always perform better than us." Monty teased.

"If someone wasn't all talk and no substance, they wouldn't perform better than us." Inigo shot back.

"If you all could stop interrupting me so that I can finish explaining to Zero here… " Amias glared at them darkly.

Immediately, both of them shut up.

"It's really not as bad they like to make it seem like. Rookies tend to suffer more in the beginning because they've been living and training with the Paradise standards, while this will be with New World standards. You'll get used to it eventually."

"Just so you know, eventually usually equates to a few months of working your ass off." Rye sing-songed with an evil grin.

"Do you know what they'll test us on?"

"Yup." Rye nodded. "It's not a surprise. They always make us do the same tasks; running, climbing, stuff like that."

"Don't forget the bullshit they make us do at the end." Inigo rolled her eyes. "They do it just to torture us."

"It's a family tradition to keep our newbies unaware of this test." Rye giggled. "So you'll be kept in the dark until tomorrow!"

"That's fine." Unperturbed, Zero closed his eyes.

"Alright, stop hanging around, and get ready for bed. Lights off is in ten minutes!"

"So early?" Zero questioned, surprised.  
"We can't be wasteful with power, so most of the lights go off at 10 every night. If you don't want to sleep, you could go and hang around where lights are still on, but we'll be busy tomorrow, so everyone will be sleeping now."

"Come on-"  
"Everyone means _everyone_, Monty."

"Fine, fine, fine!"

* * *

_The next morning, Main Deck..._

"All right, you all know the deal, so I shouldn't have to waste me words. You have twenty minutes, starting now." Units 9 and 10 of the second division where gathered around a middle-aged man that had vibrant green hair and sported clunky glasses. "Don't try to cheat me, I'm always counting."  
"Let's go." The person that had introduced himself as Torin gave Inigo and the others a taunting grin before he led his group off at a sprint.

"..." Alright, I understand why they hate him.

"Yeah, let's follow them. Rye, try to make it this time."  
"Well, I'm sorry I have bronchopulmonary dysplasia!"

"What?"

"The only two fancy words she knows, and that's only 'cause the meds drilled it into her head with the number of times they mention it in front of her." Monty snickered.

"Yeah, just a problem that I have when I was a kid because I was born prematurely. It doesn't really matter, but they still insist I get some kind of breathing therapy. It's really annoying."  
"The fact that you still have trouble breathing means that you need therapy, Rye!"  
"Zero, just follow us." Lowell smiled reassuringly. "If you can't make it in time, don't worry, Rye'll take care of you."  
"Hey!" Rye glared at him. "What are you trying to say?"  
"Shut up and stop wasting our time!"

* * *

_Some time later…_

"Alright, you guys continue, I'm going to take a breather." Rye declared, huffing.

"Okay, Rye." Amias agreed. "Just try to make it within the time limit."

"Can we all just take a break?" Monty groaned as he continued to move with leaden limbs. "Shouldn't we, you know, stick together as a team?"

"I guess you need additional training."

"Hey, I'm fine, I don't need anything! I was only being concerned..."

"Hmmph." Inigo snorted through her panting. "I don't see the rookie complaining."  
"That's right!" Monty turned to glance at Zero who was keeping pace with Lowell behind them. "Damn, how are they not tired?" He shrieked when he saw that the two were having a conversation.

"...and the log pose pointed upwards!" Lowell continued, disregarding the three in front of them. "Similar to how the log pose points down when a crew is at Sabaody and preparing to go through Fishman Island!"  
"Huh!" Zero nodded. "That means there is something in the sky for the log pose to lock onto."  
"Some people think there is. But the real problem is that no one knows exactly how to get there." Lowell added meaningfully. "So far, there have been no real reliable accounts of sailing in the sky."  
"Regardless, since your log pose is pointing you up, that means your next destination is above you. In the Grand Line, the only thing you can truly trust is your log pose. Logic and reason don't exist in this sea." Zero asserted.  
"That is correct."

"But it is true that getting there is a difficult problem…"

"Indeed. When crews do face that problem, they usually get their hands on another log pose to alter their route…"

Both maneuvered around their flaggering blue-haired teammate.

"Hey, you two aren't going to wait for me?"

Both silently ignored him and continued ahead.

"But it is strange that there are no accounts, don't you think? There should be some people who managed to wander up there."  
"Perhaps they just didn't make it public knowledge. Of course, if you have the right connections, discovering a few ways to accomplish a trip isn't impossible."  
"Yeah, that makes sense."

* * *

_Main Deck, three laps later..._

"One, two, three, four of you made it. How surprising!" Torin grinned arrogantly. "Looks like the rookie you got this time ain't half bad!"

"Shut it."  
"Oh, don't try to scare me, Inigo." Torin laughed. "I'm just stating the truth. All of my team have passed. Maybe you should spend some more time in the training room."  
"How long has it been...?" Monty sprinted towards the group, Rye only a few steps behind. "We made it, right?"  
"Time is up." Teo said expressionlessly.

"What?!" Monty skidded to a stop. "You gotta be joking-!"  
"Now."

"..."  
"It's good to see that everyone passed. Hopefully, some of you will keep it up." Teo continued. "Not bad, rookie."  
"..." Zero took a deep breath. "Let me make this clear: I. Am not. A rookie."  
"Sure." Teo replied absentmindedly. "Rigging."

* * *

_After the passing of an unknown amount of time..._

"Last task left." Teo made marks on his clipboard. "If the rookie needs some persuasion, give it to him."  
Almost as one, the members of Units 9 and 10 of the Second Division began to smile sinisterly.

"Hehehehehe! You all have fun!" Inigo smirked.

"Who wants to demonstrate for the rookie?" Torin snickered.

"I don't mind doing it." Lowell smiled faintly. "Please hold my bifocals and auditory aids for me, Inigo."

He weaved his way through the rigging again, settling on a small platform jutting out from the mast, around 40 feet above the deck.

_Ah, I get it_.

"You understand, right?" Amias smiled. "It's your first time, so it won't be surprising if you're a bit nervous. You don't have to go as high. Twenty feet is enough. You want me to go with you?"

"I'm good. Is there a limit on how high you can go?"  
"Yeah, normal crewmembers usually don't exceed 50 feet. Only a few commanders like to leap from the crow's nest."  
"They're completely mental." Monty interjected.

"I'd go for about thirty."

"Okay."

"Wait! I almost forgot to ask, you aren't a devil fruit user, right? You don't have to go if that's the case, since we're not doing this to watch you drown."  
"Nope." Zero shook his head.

"Well, good luck!"

"..."

"Maybe you should have followed him, Amias." Rye said dubiously.

"He didn't stop at twenty…" Lowell, who had managed to climb back onboard, noted.

"He's still going..." A member of Unit 9 added.

"Does he plan on jumping at fifty?"  
"Nope, he's stopping at forty."

"Let's see if he actually does it."  
"Can it, Torin."

"Hey, I don't even got the freedom of speech anymore?" He protested. "I bet you he won't have the guts to."  
"And what exactly are we betting?" Amias questioned.  
"Loser takes over one night shift?"  
"Deal."  
The two turned to look at the figure perched high above them just in time to see him plummet.

"Holy hell, he actually did it!"  
"What the-"  
"I didn't even get to see it!" Torin complained. "Seriously?"

"..."

The water was bitingly cold.

For an ordinary person, falling from such a height could mean getting the breath knocked out of them at best, a few broken bones at worst.

A rookie fresh out of Paradise would likely take a few seconds to adjust and begin propelling themselves upward.

Zero only felt a tickle on his skin as he went under.

Instinctively, he prepared to use Water Tread to propel himself out of the water before abruptly stopping.

Shit, almost messed up again. I'm keeping a low profile. Low profile!

Zero frowned for a moment before kicking a few times to resurface.

"..."

"Er… how long has it been?"

"He's not coming up?"

"Maybe he is a devil fruit user…"  
"But then it'll be akin to suicide to jump! He shouldn't be that stupid!"  
"Yeah, but he's not resurfacing…"  
"Maybe he just can't swim."  
"Then he should've mentioned it…"

Amias, Lowell and the other members of unit 10 were also slightly anxious.

"Ummm…"

"Look, he resurfaced!"  
"Okay, that's good. I really won't like to explain to the Commander that we let the rookie drown…" Rye sighed in relief.  
"Hehe, ain't got nothing to do with me."

"What took you so long?" Inigo demanded as soon as he climbed back onboard via the rope ladder.

"The water was colder than I thought." Zero replied casually. "And I was only under for a few seconds."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. I guess it's because we're sailing close to a colder region." Inigo huffed, only to realize Zero had already disappeared. "You- I was worried for you and you ignore me?!" She cried.

* * *

*Water Tread: technique used to travel in water, it's basically a slightly altered version of Geppo that make it more suitable for travelling in water. Every member of CP9 has their own, slightly different versions of the Six Powers, so… yeah.

So… how's this chapter? It took me quite some effort to squeeze it out.

Regarding my updating schedule: I don't have one. You know how it is, life is unpredictable, chaotic, likes throwing lemons at you for fun, etc. I really don't want to promise to update, and fail to, because it's disappointing for the readers. Well, so is long breaks between updates, but… I guess I'll try not to vanish off the face of the planet for say, 6 months?!

As some of you may realize, I've also started a new story, because it was bouncing around my brain and annoying me. (Go check it out if you're interested). With that added to the picture, I'm going to have a little trouble managing my time, I just know it.

See you again in the next update (and please leave me a review, I'm interested in what you have to say!).


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